US Airways - August 2012 - (Page 103)

The PBS television show Everyday Edisons allows ordinary people to transform their ideas into retail-ready products. The Emmy Award–winning series began production in Charlotte in 2007. Above, Christine Aguilera, president of SkyMall; Louis Foreman, creator and executive producer; and Jon Dudas, president of FIRST and former director of the United States Patent & Trademark Office, judge the final casting call for Season 4. Right, the Everyday Edisons design process begins with the first sketch of the product concept, leading all the way to branding and packaging. Making High-tech Start-ups Possible Technology start-ups find fertile ground for expansion in Charlotte and North Carolina. Easy access to decision-makers, expanding pools of capital, and a spirit of collaboration make it possible for new ventures to go from idea to open-door rapidly. Good weather, a historically low cost of living, career growth opportunities, and travel access to points all over the United States and the world have fueled the relocation of people and companies in record numbers over the last decade to the Charlotte region. In fact, more people moved to the Charlotte metro area than any other area in the country from 2000–2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With a current majority/minority population of 1.7 million in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg metro area, the Queen City is home to a diverse, new face of America. The Charlotte region serves as the headquarters for ten Fortune 500 companies and attracts top talent from all over the country. Many newcomers choose to stay in the area to launch new ventures beyond their first job opportunity. Uptown Charlotte’s Packard Place serves as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and community, providing start-ups with professional working space that nurtures collaboration alongside community meeting space in The Garage. The 90,000-square-foot, LEED-certified retrofitted building (the site of a Packard automobile showroom in its past life) currently gives two incubators, five start-ups, and three entrepreneurial companies the support they need to grow. The entrepreneurial ecosystem of Charlotte helped brothers Igor and Victor Jablokov create YAP, a voice-to-text technology that has gained international prominence as a leading interface technology. YAP technology catapulted to success after winning the Charlotte Venture Challenge (a local venture capital competition) and then being named a national TechCrunch competition finalist in 2007. Small-cap firms like custom software development company Skookum Digital Works have found Charlotte an ideal place to secure venture capital, attract talent from all over the country, and especially, to grow. “Once people come to Charlotte for the first time, it’s not a hard sell — they love the weather, how clean the city is, and how cosmopolitan it feels,” says Josh Oakhurst, founder of Skookum Digital Works. According to a recent survey, 94 high-growth start-ups in Charlotte have a projected total of $650 million in revenue for 2012 with a growth rate of 30 percent over 2011. photos (left to right) by patrickschneiderphoto.com, by matthew wynn and daniel cordero usairwaysmag.com august 2012 103 http://www.PATRICKSCHNEIDERPHOTO.COM http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - August 2012

US Airways - August 2012
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Making Waves
Wine & Dine: The American Spirit
Adventure: Reynolds Plantation
Great Escapes: Puerto Vallarta
Tel Aviv: The City That Never Sleeps
Heavy Duty: US Airways Maintenance
Toques Off! Top Chefs on Summer Entertaining
Welcome to Tampa Bay
Driving Force: The First Tee of the Triad
New Vision: Lexington, Kentucky
Best of Education: Salisbury University
Puzzles
Charlotte in 2012: Making a New Economy Possible
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace™
Giving Miles for Good: Fisher House
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - August 2012